French federation to probe PSG over ethnic profiling; club face lawsuit too

The French league of human rights has filed a discrimination lawsuit against Paris Saint-Germain and the French football federation said on Friday that its ethics council will look into reports that the club’s scouts illegally profiled the ethnic origins of potential young recruits.

The federation said its ethics council could ask the French league’s disciplinary commission to step in when its investigation is over. PSG acknowledged on Thursday that forms with illegal content were used between 2013 and 2018.

But the club declined responsibility for implementing the policy after the Mediapart news website reported that up until this year, scouts were asked by PSG to mention the origin of possible recruits according to four categories namely; French, North African, West Indian, and Black African.

The league of human rights said it has filed a lawsuit with a state prosecutor “against ethnic registration” in order “to punish the culprits and [establish] responsibilities at the club.”